EXHIBIT 99.1

 

The #1 Airborne Healthcare Company
 
Air Methods Reports 2Q2008 Results and 3Q2008 Update
Fully-Diluted Earnings Per-Share of $0.38 In Line with Previously Announced Expectations

DENVER, CO., August 7th, 2008 -- Air Methods Corporation (NasdaqGS: AIRM), the largest air medical transportation company in the world, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2008 and provided an update on July 2008 flight volumes.  For the quarter, revenue increased 41% to $128.0 million from $90.7 million in the prior-year quarter.  For the six-month period, revenue increased 43% to $246.1 million, compared with $172.2 million in the prior-year six-month period.
 
For the quarter, net income decreased 38% to $4.8 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, as compared with prior-year quarter net income of $7.8 million, or $0.63 per diluted share.  Net income for the six-month period was $7.2 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, compared to $11.5 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, for the prior-year six-month period.
 
As previously announced, the decrease in net income was primarily attributed to decreases in community-based patient transports as a result of increased weather cancellations, and higher than anticipated fuel and maintenance expenditures.  Community-based patient transports for bases in operation greater than one year (Same-Base Transports) decreased by 651 transports, while weather cancellations for these same bases increased by 459, as compared with the prior-year quarter.  Same-Base Transports and weather cancellations exclude bases acquired from CJ Systems Aviation Group, Inc. (CJ) effective October 1, 2007.  Aircraft maintenance expense per flight hour during the quarter, excluding aircraft acquired in the CJ acquisition, increased 15% as compared with the prior-year quarter, resulting in an increase of $1.7 million in maintenance expense based on actual flight volume for the quarter.  The actual increase in maintenance expense was smaller than the previously announced increase of 21% as a result of final quarter-end adjustments to preliminary calculations.  Maintenance expense per flight hour, excluding CJ aircraft, decreased 6% during the current quarter as compared to the first quarter of 2008.   As previously reported, fuel expense per community-based patient transport increased 58% as compared with the prior-year quarter, resulting in an increase of approximately $1.8 million in fuel costs based on patients transported during the quarter.  The second quarter 2008 financial results also include approximately $0.7 million in uninsured costs associated with recent accidents, slightly higher than previously reported preliminary results.
 
The current-year quarter and six-month period include approximately $1.1 million and $2.2 million, respectively for the re-training of CJ pilots to transition operations to a single Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operating certificate.  These costs include incremental compensation expense for pilots and training personnel, in addition to hourly maintenance and fuel expenses associated with incremental training flights.  This re-training process was completed at the end of the second quarter.
 
The increase in revenue for the current-year quarter and six-month period is primarily attributed to the acquisition of CJ.  Excluding revenue generated from operating bases added in the CJ acquisition, consolidated revenue increased approximately 11% for the current-year quarter and six-month period as compared with the prior year.
 
For the second quarter, community-based revenue increased 26% to $77.7 million compared to $61.8 million in the prior year, while segment net income decreased 22% to $11.2 million from $14.3 million.  Excluding CJ operating locations, community-based revenue increased 7%.  As previously reported, total community-based patient transports were 11,635, as compared with 9,769 in the prior-year quarter.  Net revenue per community-based transport was $6,727 for the current-year quarter, compared with $6,412 in the prior-year quarter and $6,622 in the first quarter of 2008.  Hospital-based revenue increased 69% to $47.0 million compared to $27.9 million in the prior-year period, while segment net income decreased slightly to $1.1 million from $1.3 million.  Excluding CJ operating locations, hospital-based revenue increased 11%.  The decrease in segment net income for both divisions is attributed to the factors discussed above.

 
 

 

The Company also provided an update on July 2008 flight volume.  Total community-based transports were 3,832 during July 2008 compared with 3,495 in July 2007.  Same-Base Transports during the month of July decreased by 415 transports or 12% as compared with July 2007.  The decrease in transports was partially attributed to a 218 increase in weather cancellations for bases in operation greater than one year and excluding bases acquired from CJ.  A small portion of the remaining decrease in Same-Base Transports during the month is also attributed to fewer patients being transported from auto accident scenes.  The recent spike in fuel prices is believed to have reduced discretionary travel, resulting in decreased demand for service.  Although scene flights typically represent only 40% of total patient transports with the remaining 60% representing transports between hospitals, almost 50% of the reduction in Same-Base Transports in July was attributed to a decrease in scene flights.
 
Aaron Todd, CEO, stated, “Weather has been more severe than the prior-year period in every month in 2008 except January.  This has had the most significant impact on our year-over-year results due to the high fixed-cost nature of our operating expenses.  Recent spikes in fuel prices and higher than anticipated maintenance expenditures have also impacted our results.  Despite these challenges, we remain optimistic for future periods.  Weather will eventually moderate.  Fuel prices have fallen significantly from their recent highs, while the cost of consolidating FAA certificates is now behind us.  In addition, we continue to realize improvement in net reimbursement per transport from recent price increases.  We would anticipate a return to growth in profits as these expectations become realized.”
 
The Company will discuss these results in a conference call scheduled today at 4:15 p.m. Eastern.  Interested parties can access the call by dialing (888) 396-5640 (domestic) or (706) 643-0580 (international) or by accessing the web cast at www.airmethods.com. A replay of the call will be available at (800) 642-1687 (domestic) or (706) 645-9291 (international), access number 55489810, for 3 days following the call and the web cast can be accessed at www.airmethods.com for 30 days.
 
Air Methods Corporation (http://www.airmethods.com) is a leader in emergency air medical transportation and medical services. The Hospital Based Services Division is the largest provider of air medical transport services for hospitals. The Community Based Services Division is the largest community-based provider of air medical services. The Products Division specializes in the design and manufacture of aeromedical and aerospace technology. The Company's fleet of owned, leased or maintained aircraft features over 330 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
 
 
 
 
Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, including but not limited to the integration of CJ into our existing operations, the size, structure and growth of the Company's air medical services and products markets; the collection rates for patient transports; the continuation and/or renewal of air medical service contracts; the acquisition of profitable Products Division contracts and other flight service operations; the successful expansion of the community-based operations; and other matters set forth in the Company's public filings.

 
CONTACTS:  Aaron D. Todd, Chief Executive Officer, (303) 792-7413 or Trent Carman, Chief Financial Officer, at (303) 792-7591. Please contact Christine Clarke at (303) 792-7579 to be included on the Company’s fax and/or mailing list.
 
 
– FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ATTACHED –

 
 

 

AIR METHODS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
(Amounts in thousands)

   
June 30,
2008
   
December 31,
2007
 
             
             
ASSETS
           
             
Current assets:
           
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 9,574       5,134  
Trade receivables, net
    136,042       135,633  
Other current assets
    55,352       74,090  
                 
Total current assets
    200,968       214,857  
                 
Net property and equipment
    121,910       114,746  
Other assets, net
    43,371       39,949  
                 
Total assets
  $ 366,249       369,552  
                 
                 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
               
                 
Current liabilities:
               
Notes payable related to assets held for sale
  $ 19,627       24,203  
Current portion of indebtedness
    17,012       18,350  
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other
    56,897       59,546  
                 
Total current liabilities
    93,536       102,099  
                 
Long-term indebtedness
    76,294       76,751  
Other non-current liabilities
    45,556       48,682  
                 
Total liabilities
    215,386       227,532  
                 
Total stockholders' equity
    150,863       142,020  
                 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
  $ 366,249       369,552  

 
 

 

AIR METHODS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

   
Three Months Ended
   
Six Months Ended
 
   
June 30,
   
June 30,
 
                         
   
2008
   
2007
   
2008
   
2007
 
                         
Revenue:
                       
Flight operations
  $ 124,746       89,695       239,219       168,856  
Product operations
    3,213       1,038       6,839       3,335  
Total revenue
    127,959       90,733       246,058       172,191  
                                 
Expenses:
                               
Operating expenses
    97,496       61,068       190,783       119,409  
Gain on disposition of assets, net
    (130 )     (497 )     (1,438 )     (345 )
General and administrative
    17,578       12,568       34,724       24,719  
Depreciation and amortization
    4,202       3,479       8,300       6,890  
      119,146       76,618       232,369       150,673  
                                 
Operating income
    8,813       14,115       13,689       21,518  
                                 
Interest expense
    (1,106 )     (1,318 )     (2,673 )     (2,740 )
Other, net
    609       491       1,252       946  
                                 
Income before income taxes
    8,316       13,288       12,268       19,724  
                                 
Income tax expense
    (3,482 )     (5,463 )     (5,104 )     (8,201 )
                                 
Net income
  $ 4,834       7,825       7,164       11,523  
                                 
Income per common share:
                               
Basic
  $ 0.40       0.66       0.59       0.97  
Diluted
  $ 0.38       0.63       0.57       0.93  
                                 
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
                               
Basic
    12,181,790       11,886,613       12,166,566       11,881,751  
Diluted
    12,608,043       12,431,098       12,617,804       12,382,830